The organizational meeting was held at the St. Joseph Public Library, with Miss Marianne Bard presiding as temporary chairman. The first elected president of the Berrien County Retired Public School Employees Association was Mrs. Frederick Ollhoff, who accepted the Charter for the Berrien County group at the annual meeting of the Michigan Retired Teachers Association (MRTA) held on May 2nd, 1968 in Lansing.

In the early years the organization was known as both the Berrien County Chapter of Michigan Retired Teachers and as the Berrien County Retired Public School Employees Association.

In 1974, the MRTA became the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel and we were then a chapter of MARSP. In 1988, Berrien County's name was listed in our program book as Berrien County Association of Retired School Personnel. In 2008, the name was changed to Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel-Berrien County Chapter (MARSP-BCC).

Though formed as a group primarily to promote the interests of retired teachers and educational issues in Michigan, one of the most pleasurable aspects of the group is a social one. Meeting and keeping in touch with old friends and colleagues has always been a bonus to attending meetings.

The Chapter's accomplishments, however, have been substantial. Always very active in the legislative area, Berrien sponsored a program in 1971 to help school personnel prepare for retirement. The group has been busy ever since. There are annual workshops which provide valuable retirement information to the members. The Chapter's first newsletter was started in 1989 by Emma Lou Wilson. In 1991, the scholarship program to help worthy students become teachers was established. And at about the same time on the social front, the Chapter began having summer picnics. The first ones were held at a park in Berrien Springs, with Wilbur Dick's orchestra providing the music.

The Berrien County Chapter has always welcomed all public school retirees. Its purpose has been to help school retirees live in health and dignity and to improve education in Michigan. Having given special recognition to our 10th, 25th and 30th anniversaries, we now look forward to celebrating our 40th, in the hope that there will always be retired personnel who are willing to continue the work begun so many years ago, which has been of such great benefit to all Berrien County retired school personnel.